Auto Train: Virginia to Florida

[HadEnuff]

One of my pet peeves is visiting a website for a service that refuses to list on the website the cost of the service. It makes me not want to use them at all.

I was on the Amtrak website, scoping out the Auto Train, and it says "call for reservations"...but has no list of costs. At least I couldn't find one.

Anyone out there in FIREland have any experience with Auto Train?

 

[pb4uski]

LMGTFY

 

[HadEnuff]

LMGTFY

Actually I did Google it several times. I got the Amtrak site which, as far as I can tell, has no cost information.

I also Googled "How much does it cost...." and I got one answer...$534 dollars, which is useless information because the Auto Train has a variety of cost options, depending upon your accommodations.

 

[pb4uski]

Looks like $250 for the car and $112 for a passenger from VA to FL next week.

https://tickets.amtrak.com/itd/amtrak

 

[HadEnuff]

Looks like $250 for the car and $112 for a passenger from VA to FL next week.

https://tickets.amtrak.com/itd/amtrak

thanks. I couldn't find that page for some reason.

Sold out when I want to go. Well, they have room for me, but not for my car. Since they didn't have room for my car, they wouldn't tell me how much it would have cost for my car.

I think the fares are very seasonally influenced. Which I guess makes sense.

I don't think my wife would like 17 hours on the train anyway. Not sure if I'd like it but I'd give it a try. She doesn't drink. I do. I'd be fine.

 

[sengsational]

I do. I'd be fine.

When I read the title of the thread, I thought, "Who'd bother with that, unless they wanted to go with other people and party?"

 

[Sunset]

You could see if they have a sleeper car, so you would have your own tiny room for an extra $300.

 

[audreyh1]

So they do do that!

I always thought to would be great to take ourselves and our car to the west coast without having to drive there, wishing there was a train service. But never heard about an auto train.

Are there other routes besides VA to FL?

Still quicker to fly and rent, of course.

 

[HadEnuff]

So they do do that!

I always thought to would be great to take ourselves and our car to the west coast without having to drive there, wishing there was a train service. But never heard about an auto train.

Are there other routes besides VA to FL?

Still quicker to fly and rent, of course.

as far as I know it's the only route they have that does that, and from the website, it seems they have a daily trip. They have one into Sanford Fl, which is near Orlando. Not sure if it's a totally different train, or just a different stop. Sanford is a much smaller town, so likely easier to get out of than Orlando would be.

They leave Lorton Va at 4PM and arrive into Orlando around 10AM the next day. Total time is around 17 to 18 hours, but if you are having them transport your car you have to be there a couple of hours earlier to deal with that.

Basically it saves 11 hours of driving, but realistically, since you have to be there early, and then wait around to get your car back, AND since neither train station is likely to be exactly on your route you have to add finding the one train station, and getting from the destination train station back to your route....

IMO it's more of an "experience" than a practicality. I expect I'd be more tired after 18 hours on a train trying to get a good night's sleep, than I would be with 11 hours in a car and a night in a decent hotel bed.

 

[braumeister]

I used to w*rk with a guy whose mother happily used it for many years. She was a Pennsylvania snowbird who hated long distance driving. Drove down to Virginia and took the train to Florida, completely eliminating the annoyance. She loved it.

 

[MichaelB]

I used to w*rk with a guy whose mother happily used it for many years. She was a Pennsylvania snowbird who hated long distance driving. Drove down to Virginia and took the train to Florida, completely eliminating the annoyance. She loved it.

This is exactly the purpose of the auto train. It is less expensive than flying & having the car shipped by truck or flying and renting a car. It works well for snowbirds from the US northeast who want to spend a winter month or two in Florida but don't (or can't) can't take the 15+ hour drive. For most users the drive to Virginia is 3-4 hours, and once in Orlando, you can get to the most popular Florida destinations in 3 hours or less.

 

[folivier]

Now if I could drive the motorhome onto the train and stay in it that would be nice. Or drive onto an 18 wheeler heading across Texas....

 

[donheff]

I took the Auto Train back from Florida one year. We got a sleeper car and thought it wasn't worth the cost. I would just go with a seat but DW gets restless leg syndrome and doesn't want that so no auto train for us.

 

[scrabbler1]

I never rode on the Auto Train, but my brother did many years ago. Our 82-year-old grandfather was moving from eastern PA to south Florida so they loaded up my grandfather's car and drove to VA to take the Auto Train. Then they drove from Orlando to West Palm Beach where his new apartment was. It was a far better choice to break up the driving into two relatively short segments with the train ride, as my brother would not want to have our GF driving part of the route to give my brother a rest. The car was fully loaded with his belongings which would have made a long trip a cramped one.

 

[Ronstar]

Never heard of Auto Train before. I'd like to do it - just wish there was a service southwest out of Chicago.

 

[Moemg]

I took it one year . They have tiny compartments which turn into beds at night . It was okay not something I would do regularly .

 

[Sunset]

I took the Auto Train back from Florida one year. We got a sleeper car and thought it wasn't worth the cost. I would just go with a seat but DW gets restless leg syndrome and doesn't want that so no auto train for us.

After you add the mileage expense (wear on car) of driving, which many folks don't really think about, and the hotel cost of $100 since it is a super long drive. It might actually be cheaper.

Say 25 cents per mile for wear and gas on car, ( gas, tires, oil change, engine, etc) x 1,500 miles = $375 + $100 hotel = $475 one way is the "cost" of driving.

 

[Sunset]

Never heard of Auto Train before. I'd like to do it - just wish there was a service southwest out of Chicago.

+1
It would be great if it was offered in more places.